Panaji: Goa's Tourism Minister Mickey Pacheco is in the middle of a controversy after the death of one of his friends.
The Goa crime branch has been asked to investigate the case after women's rights groups alleged the minister may be involved in the death of 27-year-old Nadia Toreado.
Toreado died on May 30 after consuming rat poison. On May 15, she was taken first to a local hospital in Goa. A few days later, she was moved to Mumbai and finally to Chennai, where she died.
"She consumed it or whether she was fed poison, it has something to do with Mickey Pacheco. This is my contention," alleges a women's group activist.
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With public pressure mounting, the police have conducted a second post-mortem on Nadia, but the family maintains she died accidentally.
"We gave a statement that there is no criminal offence and there is no foul play. My brother, Nadia's husband Vincent and me, all three of us gave a statement yesterday," said Nadia's brother Rommel Toreado.
Pacheco was not available for comments but sources say the police may call him to record a statement.